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Mozambique landfill landslide kills seventeen

At least 17 people have been killed in Mozambique this week after heavy rains caused a 15-metre high pile of rubbish to partially collapse at a rubbish dump in Mozambique, intensifying calls for action to assist communities in developing nations with managing their waste.

The collapse, which occurred today (19 February) at 3am local time at the Hulene landfill, some six miles from the nation’s capital Maputo, saw mounds of waste destroy seven houses following heavy rains, killing 17 people, with more feared to be buried beneath the debris.

Many live on the Hulene landfill, scavenging materials that can be reused and resold

Hulene is the only official dump serving the 3.5 million inhabitants of Maputo and the victims could include those squatting near the landfill scratching out an existence on the waste on the site. However, authorities fear that more people could be living in these homes than recorded, meaning the death toll could rise.

Initial reports suggest that the houses were part of an informal settlement and residents living there had previously been told to leave the site. Residents of nearby dwellings have since fled their homes out of fear of further collapses.

Local councillor for Ka Mavota Municipal District, Despedida Rita, told the Independent: “Up to now 17 dead bodies were recovered. We fear more might be unaccounted for. So we will keep searching for bodies buried underneath the rubbish pile.”

The state of waste management infrastructure in developing countries has gained a significantly increased amount of attention in recent times, owing largely to the the world’s waking up to the scale and extent of plastic waste pollution, especially that which afflicts the marine environment.

At least 30 people have died and rescue efforts are continuing following a landslide at a landfill site in Sri Lanka, which destroyed nearly 80 homes – the second major landfill disaster in as many months.

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